Ballon d’Or: Players who could have won if Messi, Ronaldo didn’t exist

Ballon d’Or: Players Who Could Have Won Without Messi and Ronaldo

The dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or awards has often overshadowed other exceptional players. With neither Messi nor Ronaldo on this year’s shortlist, we look back at talented players who might have claimed the award in their absence.

Top Contenders:

1. Fernando Torres (2008): Torres’ impressive season with Liverpool and Spain earned him third place, behind Ronaldo and Messi.
2. Xavi (2009, 2011): Xavi’s instrumental role in Barcelona’s success saw him finish third twice, with Messi taking the award.
3. Andres Iniesta (2010, 2012): Iniesta’s crucial contributions to Spain’s World Cup and Euro wins, and Barcelona’s dominance, weren’t enough to surpass Messi.
4. Franck Ribery (2013): Ribery’s outstanding performances for Bayern Munich and France were eclipsed by Ronaldo’s World Cup qualification heroics.
5. Manuel Neuer (2014): Neuer’s exceptional goalkeeping for Bayern Munich and Germany’s World Cup win made him a strong contender, but Ronaldo retained the title.
6. Neymar (2015, 2017): Neymar’s impressive scoring and impact for Barcelona and PSG weren’t enough to dislodge Messi and Ronaldo.
7. Antoine Griezmann (2016): Griezmann’s outstanding season with Atletico Madrid and France fell short due to Ronaldo’s trophy-winning year.
8. Virgil van Dijk (2019): Van Dijk’s defensive brilliance for Liverpool nearly earned him the award, but Messi narrowly edged him out.
9. Robert Lewandowski (2021): Lewandowski’s phenomenal scoring record made him a strong contender, with many believing he deserved the award.
10. Erling Haaland (2023): Haaland’s record-breaking debut season with Manchester City was overshadowed by Messi’s World Cup win.

These players demonstrated exceptional skill and achievements, but were ultimately overshadowed by the brilliance of Messi and Ronaldo.